The boat rowed away. Dense gunfire came from the forest, startling the birds into flight.

Xie Chi pulled off the earring from her other ear, straightening it to open the handcuffs. Jiang Shouyue dragged her injured body over to stop her. “What are you doing! He did this hoping you would live!”

Xie Chi pushed her away. “Let go.”

“Have you thought about your child?” Jiang Shouyue pressed down on her hands. “It might be satisfying for you to go die, but what about this innocent life?”

Xie Chi stopped her hands.

“If we’re lucky enough to escape, that’s best. But if something unfortunate happens, we must at least preserve his bloodline.”

The bow couldn’t support so many people. A’Ru said something through her tears to Guoqiang’s ear. After understanding, Guoqiang walked over and hugged Xie Chi’s waist. “Godmother, don’t leave. Don’t take little brother away.”

Xie Chi held back tears and sorrow, hugging Guoqiang’s head while looking toward the receding riverbank.

On one side was calm water, on the other was a hail of bullets.

The fish underwater surely didn’t know how frightened the birds and beasts on land were.

…

Li Changsheng rolled to He Feng’s side. “Brother, I can’t hold on anymore. No more bullets.”

Japanese soldiers surrounded them from three sides. He Feng pulled the safety pin—this was their last grenade. He lifted himself slightly, aimed carefully and threw it hard. With a “boom,” several men were blown down.

The two took advantage of the chaos to fire, killing the devils who approached.

With ammunition exhausted, rustling sounds came from the grass.

They leaned against a thick fallen tree. Li Changsheng looked at He Feng with a smile. “Brother, we survived two major battles. I thought I was blessed with great fortune, but never expected we’d die together in the end.”

He Feng looked at his foolish grin and roughly rubbed his head. “You won’t die.”

“Come on, if we can survive this, I’ll—”

Before he could finish, He Feng knocked him unconscious with one palm and stuffed him into the gap behind the fallen tree, covering him with branches. He stood up and quickly ran in another direction, leading the devils toward the southeast.

Seeing a black shadow rapidly darting from the side with completely unpredictable movements, the Japanese soldiers concentrated their firepower and swept toward him. Fujita Kiyono had been following despite his pain. Seeing He Feng get hit in the leg and fall down, he frantically shouted, “Don’t kill him!”

“Take him alive!”

“Take him alive!”

…

Fujita Kiyono sat in the dark prison cell. This was the underground prison of the Red Mansion, specifically for interrogating anti-Japanese figures whom Japanese spies suspected but had no evidence against, or stubborn individuals from government agencies who hadn’t broken after prolonged questioning.

Fujita Kiyono hadn’t treated the wound on his back—it was left by his beloved woman. He poured alcohol on his back, enjoying the piercing pain.

He cried for a while, laughed maniacally for a while, then talked to himself.

Suddenly he threw the bottle away and grabbed He Feng by the throat. “Where did she go? Hmm? Where did she go?” He punched He Feng in the face. “When did you two get together? How many times did you sleep together?” He laughed until his shoulders shook wildly. “When did you fall for each other? The first time you met? You were already coveting my woman?” He turned away, recalling that scene, talking to himself. “I remember now. The way you looked at her then was wrong. I even told Wanzhi about it—she told me to have Michi keep you in line.” He suddenly turned back. “Was it then! Later when we went to her house for dinner, went horseback riding, again and again. I was the one who pushed her toward you.”

He Feng laughed lightly without saying anything.

Fujita Kiyono tilted his head back, grabbing at his own hair with both hands. “You even got her pregnant with your spawn. Why did you have to treat me this way? What did I do wrong to make you treat me like this?” He crouched in front of He Feng, calmed down for a moment, then grabbed his clothes and slowly stood up. “When did you collude with the Communists? This year? Last year? You should have been an actor.” He brushed away the hair hanging over his forehead. “Such a handsome face, such exquisite acting skills, playing us all for fools. You’re better than any actor I’ve ever trained.”

He poked at the brand on his shoulder blade with his finger, digging and twisting hard. He Feng gritted his teeth without making a sound.

Fujita Kiyono withdrew his hand and wiped the blood on his face. His finger slowly slid down to the tattoo. “You thought no one would look closely, using tattoos to cover scars, that it wouldn’t be discovered.” Fujita Kiyono moved close to his face, looking at the sweat of pain, and laughed softly. “How did you get so many scars on your body? And bullet holes—when were you injured?” He used both hands to feel every small scar on He Feng’s body. “From August the year before last until March last year, you disappeared for more than half a year. What were you doing? You didn’t go to war, did you? The Battle of Shanghai? The Battle of Nanjing?” Fujita Kiyono laughed. “All lost.” He took out a white handkerchief to wipe the blood from He Feng’s face. “When did you join the Communist Party? Are you Cuckoo?”

He Feng sneered.

“You dare to laugh.” Fujita Kiyono picked up the bloody whip from the table and lashed it at him. “Laugh! Laugh!”

…

Xie Chi and the others hadn’t been able to leave Shanghai. After their escape, Fujita Kiyono ordered strict guarding of all Shanghai exits, even some back roads and small paths had checkpoints.

They hid in a sparsely populated small village.

The woman disguised as Xie Chi was called Huizi—she was Fujita Kiyono’s backup plan. Her Chinese wasn’t good, so she didn’t dare communicate with these people. She pretended to be unwell and slept, waiting until dark when everyone was resting to secretly run to town and make a phone call to report.

Early the next morning, there was commotion outside with roosters crowing and dogs barking.

The devils had entered the village. They went straight to where Xie Chi and the others were hiding and captured the entire group.

Xie Chi was sent directly to Fujita Kiyono’s house.

He was frying steak. Hearing the commotion outside, he hurried out to greet them, still wearing an apron. The moment he saw her, his eyes became extraordinarily gentle. “Wanzhi, you’re back. Perfect timing—sit down quickly.”

Xie Chi didn’t move.

Fujita Kiyono walked over and pressed her into a seat at the table. Xie Chi grabbed a dinner knife and stabbed at him. Fujita Kiyono gripped her hand and leaned aside to dodge. “Your friends are still with me.” Looking at Xie Chi’s angry yet helpless expression, he continued smiling as he helped her sit down. “Let’s eat first. Wait for me a moment.”

He turned and went into the kitchen, soon bringing out two plates with blood-red steaks. “You used to like them well-done. Today let’s try them bloody.” He bent down, running his finger from below her ear to her chin, gripping her face and awkwardly straightening her upper body. “Don’t worry, it’s not human flesh.”

Fujita Kiyono poured red wine for her, then elegantly sat across from her, picking up knife and fork. “Eat.” He slapped his forehead. “Sorry, I forgot you’re still wearing handcuffs. Let me help you then.” He sat next to Xie Chi, slowly cutting the meat for her.

“Where did you take them?”

“Don’t mention such things during meals.” Fujita Kiyono held the meat to her lips. “Eat.”

Xie Chi wouldn’t open her mouth.

Fujita Kiyono held his hand there for nearly a minute.

“What about him?”

Fujita Kiyono still looked at her calmly, then suddenly pulled the meat off the fork and pinched her mouth, forcibly stuffing it inside. Xie Chi bit down hard on his finger. Fujita Kiyono frowned and smiled, letting his finger bleed from her bite.

Xie Chi released her teeth and spat out the meat and blood. “You’re insane.”

Fujita Kiyono looked at his finger, put it in his mouth and licked it, swallowing the blood mixed with her saliva. He sat silently beside her for a while. “Yes, I am insane. I was driven insane by you—all of you forced me to this.” He lifted his eyes and smiled at her, gripping her shoulders. His eyes were full of bloodshot veins. “Why? Why did you treat me this way? What exactly did I do wrong?”

Xie Chi didn’t want to respond to this question.

The next second, Fujita Kiyono changed like a different person, frantically grabbing a napkin to wipe her lips. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. Does it hurt? Did I injure you?”

Xie Chi pushed him away. “Don’t touch me.”

Fujita Kiyono stared at her blankly. “Don’t touch you—why can’t I touch you?” He suddenly swept away the tableware in front of him. It clattered to the floor. “He can touch you?”

He covered her face, the blood on his fingers smearing all over her cold white skin. “Do you want to see him? I’ll tell you where he is. He’s in prison.” Fujita Kiyono smiled eerily. “My fingernails still have his flesh and blood—do you want to see?”

Xie Chi lifted her leg and kicked him away. Fujita Kiyono, already severely wounded and not yet healed, fell to the ground, supporting himself with his hands while staring at her abdomen. He suddenly grabbed a nearby knife and stabbed toward her.

Xie Chi immediately protected her abdomen.

Fujita Kiyono stopped in time. He stared at her overlapped hands, then looked up at her face with despair. “When will you protect me once?”

“Kiyono, I never thought of killing you.”

Fujita Kiyono immediately began crying and hugged her tightly. “I know, I know you can’t bear to. Yesterday you could have shot and killed me, but you didn’t. You have feelings for me, right?”

“No.”

Fujita Kiyono buried his face in her neck. “It doesn’t matter. We can slowly cultivate feelings.” He released her and used his sleeve to wipe the bloodstains from her face, then stumbled toward the kitchen.

Xie Chi had shackles on her feet. She knew she couldn’t escape, and didn’t want to. Her lover, relatives, and friends were all in his hands. She walked to the kitchen doorway and looked at him. “Stop bustling about. I won’t eat.”

Fujita Kiyono didn’t look at her. “If you accompany me for a proper meal, I’ll take you to see him.”

Xie Chi didn’t respond.

He looked up at her. “Okay?”

…

This winter was colder than usual—just like how it unusually snowed in late November, today brought another heavy snowfall not seen in years. After getting out of the car, Fujita Kiyono draped his coat over her. Xie Chi shrugged her shoulders and the coat fell to the ground. He picked it up and put it on her again, leading her up the stairs by her handcuffed hands.

Fujita Kiyono didn’t take Xie Chi to the prison cell, but went up to the second floor of the mansion instead. There was a heater inside, making it exceptionally warm.

“Why did you bring me here?”

Fujita Kiyono didn’t answer her, bringing her to stand by the window. “As promised, I’m letting you see him.”

Xie Chi looked out the window. Heavy snow was falling. Through layers of white fragments, she could see a striking red figure in an open area in the distance. She immediately pressed against the window, mouth half-open, chest heaving violently. Warm air condensed into water vapor on the cold window, blurring her vision. She frantically raised her hand to wipe it away, her fingertips trembling.

That person wore a thin layer of blood-stained clothing, lying on his side in the snow. He should have been made to kneel, but despite having his legs nearly kicked to pieces, he refused to bend his knees. His side was covered with a thin layer of snow—probably as his body temperature dropped lower, the snowflakes stayed longer.

A man in a kimono came over carrying a bucket of ice water and splashed it over his head. His body shuddered violently—he must have regained consciousness. The hand buried in snow moved from his chest to his abdomen, continuing to pack snow into a ball.

Xie Chi bit her lower lip, tears flowing uncontrollably. She turned and grabbed Fujita Kiyono. “It’s my fault. I seduced him.”

Fujita Kiyono wiped the tears from her face. “You love him that much?”

“I don’t love him.” She held back her tears. “It was just a momentary lapse of judgment.”

“You want to deceive me? You think hiding it will make me spare him?” He cupped her face. “He rescued anti-Japanese elements, killed seventeen soldiers, severely wounded eight. This is treason—he can’t escape. If you don’t want him to suffer, kill him with your own hands.” Fujita Kiyono lowered his hands and gave her a gun. “You kill him, and I’ll release all your friends.”

His hands were numb, without feeling, unable to sense pain.

His eyelashes were covered with ice and snow, his lips frozen blue-purple. The blood on his face had been washed clean by water and snow, leaving only a deep gash on his brow bone with several beautiful ice-blood pearls hanging from it.

After working for a long time, he finally finished the snowman. He reached into his chest, dipped out some blood, and dotted it on the small snowball. It instantly had a mouth.

He Feng looked at it, momentarily unsure what to do next. He also lacked the sensation to make a second one. He lay on his back in the snow, looking at the pale sky. He had once joked with Xie Chi about celebrating birthdays and death anniversaries together—it really had become prophetic.

Xie Chi pushed open the window and raised the gun, aiming at his head.

Her hand had never shaken this much—drifting from left to right, dropping from up to down.

He Feng saw her. For that moment, he thought he was hallucinating. How could his lover be pointing a gun at him?

He silently watched her for a long while. She seemed to be crying.

His body was no longer obeying him. He supported himself on the ground and struggled to stand up. After just two steps, the tall man fell straight forward, flattening a large patch of snow.

This fall actually made him much more lucid.

He Feng propped himself up again and stood, walking toward her.

It wasn’t a hallucination.

He looked up at her and suddenly opened his arms wide.

“A’Zhi.”

Xie Chi held the gun to his head. The wind and snow were too loud, drowning out his call. But that familiar lip shape instantly shattered her.

His lips and tongue were already numb, making unclear sounds.

“Why did you come back again?”

The man responsible for pouring water came out again. Seeing He Feng’s condition, he lifted his foot and kicked at his leg. He Feng couldn’t hold up and fell to one knee, then stood up again.

The man was about to kick a second time.

Bang—

A bullet bloomed between his brows.

The commotion immediately drew others. Xie Chi wiped away the tears that impaired her vision and shot at each person who rushed out.

Die.

Die.

Die.

…

Fujita Kiyono pulled Xie Chi into the underground prison, looking at Jiang Shouyue and the others crowded in one cell.

A’Ru saw her and cried while hugging the iron bars. “Sister.”

Fujita Kiyono pressed her head down to look at them. “You just killed someone. I need to give these people an explanation. I can’t bear to hand you over, so you pick one to be your scapegoat.”

Xie Chi struggled but couldn’t break free—he held her tightly.

“If you don’t pick, then I will.” He pointed his finger at each of them, finally landing on one male comrade. “You’re it.” He turned to his subordinates behind him. “Drag him out.”

“Yes.”

“I was the one who killed them—kill me!”

“I told you, I can’t bear to kill you. Next time something like this happens, I’ll handle it the same way.”

Xie Chi slapped him across the face and pulled out his gun, pointing it at his head.

“If you kill me, they all have to die.” Fujita Kiyono remained completely calm. “You have to die too, and your good lover especially has to die.”

Jiang Shouyue supported herself against the wall to stand up, her face pale, looking at Fujita Kiyono with hatred. “Wanzhi, kill him. Don’t worry about us.”

The other male comrade also said, “Right, kill this little devil.”

Xie Chi looked at him with gritted teeth and hatred but didn’t act.

“Come home with me.” Fujita Kiyono pushed down the gun barrel and dragged her away.

“Sister—”

…

Luo Lingshu and Koike Yoshisato had gone to Nanjing for meetings. Learning the news, she rushed back overnight. Hearing that people were being held at the Red Mansion, she hurried over dustily but was blocked from entering the interrogation room.

She spent some money and inquired with guards who were her fellow townspeople. She heard that Fujita Kiyono had used private punishment and had been torturing someone for two full days. She didn’t linger there but immediately had her driver take her to Fujita Kiyono’s residence.

Fujita Kiyono dressed and came out to receive her. “Mrs. Koike, visiting so late at night—what brings you here?”

“You don’t need to play dumb with me.” Luo Lingshu pushed past him into the house, looking at him seriously. “I practically watched you grow up. How could you be so vicious? He was your friend at least, and your sister’s boyfriend. Even if he was wrong, did you need to be so ruthless?”

Fujita Kiyono smiled. “Mrs. Koike, my fiancée is pregnant.”

Luo Lingshu was puzzled. “Then congratulations.”

“The father isn’t me.”

Luo Lingshu was somewhat surprised.

Fujita Kiyono said calmly without changing expression, “It’s your son’s.”

Luo Lingshu closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Something had indeed happened. She opened her eyes and said solemnly, “I apologize to you on his behalf.”

“An apology doesn’t make the child mine, nor does it change the fact that he slept with my woman.”

“So you must put him to death?”

Fujita Kiyono didn’t answer. “My fiancée still won’t give up on him. If you can convince her to abort the child and never associate with your son again, perhaps I can be lenient. He led people to raid the execution ground and saved several anti-Japanese elements. I haven’t reported his crimes yet. As you know, the consequences of treason.”

“Where is she?”

“Upstairs, second room on the left.”

Luo Lingshu looked toward the staircase and walked straight up.

Xie Chi was locked to the bed. Hearing the door open, she saw Luo Lingshu enter and immediately sat up.

Luo Lingshu stood by the bed, looking at her abdomen—not yet showing.

“Save him. Get rid of the child.”

Xie Chi sat hugging her knees. “You know.”

“This is a mistake that shouldn’t exist.”

“If you’ve come to be a mediator, you can leave.”

“Your attitude will get him killed.”

Xie Chi laughed coldly. “At worst we’ll all die together—a family of three. How lively on the road to death.”

“He’s suffering in the interrogation room. Do you want him tortured to death?”

“Death is death. At least we’ll leave behind the only bloodline of his family.”

“The only bloodline?” Luo Lingshu’s expression changed slightly. She couldn’t not know that the Koike family still had an older son. “What do you know? Did he tell you?”

Women were always sensitive, gradually understanding each other through small word choices.

Xie Chi didn’t say it directly. “Nine years ago, I was kidnapped up a mountain by bandits.”

“Shut up.” Luo Lingshu felt around everywhere.

Xie Chi reminded her, “There’s no surveillance.”

Luo Lingshu sat down with relief.

Xie Chi continued, “I fell in love with a bandit. I heard his mother was also kidnapped up the mountain.”

Luo Lingshu lowered her face.

“Later, the mountain stronghold was destroyed by the Japanese. They wanted the mines and found an excuse to kill from the bottom of the mountain to the top. Over a thousand people, from old to young, none were spared. Finally they burned everything clean.”

“Stop talking. I know.”

“You know? Can you sleep at night? And now you want me to abort the child.” Xie Chi spread her hands, revealing the abdomen she had been protecting. “Why don’t you dig him out yourself? Have you seen with your own eyes whether your grandson has formed yet?”

“Crazy woman.” Luo Lingshu stood up to leave. Walking to the door, she stopped. “If you still have any feelings for him, humble yourself and save his life.”

…

He Feng was dragged back into the interrogation room.

A brazier burned beside them, quickly melting the ice and snow on his body into water that soaked his entire body.

Fujita Kiyono had people bring Luo Lingshu to see He Feng. Seeing her son covered in wounds, she stood at the door for a long time before gathering courage to enter. “Ryuji.”

He Feng didn’t move.

Luo Lingshu raised her hand but hesitated to bring it down. In this bitter winter, he wore only a thin garment, torn and damaged in many places, revealing the dark red wounds inside. Luo Lingshu untied her scarf and tiptoed to wrap it around his neck, slowly arranging it properly.

“Don’t touch me.”

Luo Lingshu’s fingers stiffened. “Mother will take you out.”

“Take it away.”

Luo Lingshu had brought some food, but he seemed to need water more now. She went to the table, poured a cup of water and tried to feed him. He Feng turned his face away and wouldn’t drink a drop.

“Do you want to die?”

He Feng turned his gaze back, looking at her coolly. “What business is it of yours?”

“What business is it of mine? I’m your mother. You tell me what business it is of mine?”

He Feng sneered, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.

Luo Lingshu took out a silk handkerchief to wipe it away. “I warned you long ago not to covet other people’s things. You got someone’s fiancée pregnant, and now he’s taking private revenge. You’re in the wrong—I don’t even have the confidence to scold him. You know the Fujita family’s power. Not only in the military, but half the people in the High Court are his mother’s juniors. If you’re sent back to the Tokyo court, even pooling all the connections of me, your father, and brother, it would be hard to get you out unscathed.”

He Feng turned his face away. “Hah, at worst they’ll kill me.”

“Childish.” Luo Lingshu sighed slightly. “But this matter isn’t difficult to handle. Just refuse to admit treason and push the responsibility onto that woman. Say you were bewitched by her, blinded by emotion, and then—”

“Get lost.”

Luo Lingshu was interrupted and fell silent for a moment, then said, “Don’t be willful at this critical moment. Women can be found again, children can be had again, but you only have one life. Fujita Kiyono likes her very much. He wants her to abort the child. You go persuade her, then break completely with her. Solve this trouble first, then I’ll figure out other things. Later I’ll send you back to Japan, or to Britain, America. Staying alive is most important.”

“Put away your self-righteous ideas. If you dare harm them, I won’t spare you even as a ghost.” He Feng was bound by chains and couldn’t move. He leaned forward, the chains pulled taut, cutting his wrists bloody red. “Is the devil’s bed comfortable? So comfortable you’ve forgotten your roots?”

Luo Lingshu raised her hand to hit him, held it suspended in mid-air, then slowly lowered it. “You will die.”

“I’d rather die than return to that damn devil’s nest. Every minute and second by your side makes me feel sick and tormented. These nine years, every day I wanted to kill you, kill Koike Taichi, kill that old devil.”

Luo Lingshu turned to leave in anger. After two steps she turned back. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear those words. No matter what, we’re still blood-related mother and son. You’re my only son. No matter how you curse me, I won’t abandon you.”

“I don’t have a mother like you, you traitor.” He Feng looked at her steadily. “The He family has been bandits for three generations. Though we couldn’t hold our heads high in society, we were all upright Chinese people. Before father died, he strapped on explosives and blew up a bunch of devils, swearing to protect the old and young in the stronghold. Second uncle and my two cousins followed me to blow up the mine, fighting the devils to the last bullet. I’m the only seedling left of the He family. If I must die, I’ll die openly and cleanly on my own soil. If you find it shameful, I find you disgraceful. Just keep those things rotting in your belly—don’t ever say them out loud and pollute my ancestral graves.”

Luo Lingshu looked at him calmly. “If you’re seeking death, even the gods can’t save you.”

He Feng laughed lightly and closed his eyes, no longer looking at her. “If you had even a bit of conscience left, you’d take that old devil and roll back to your Japan, instead of helping them harm the place that raised you for twenty years.”

“I won’t argue with you at a time like this.” Luo Lingshu swallowed and sighed. A day of rushing around had already exhausted her, and facing such accusations from her son made her feel even more powerless. “Your mind is muddled now. Think it through clearly—this is treason. Without our help, you’ll be hanged and forever remain on the pillar of shame.”

But He Feng’s heart burned with a fire—a fire suppressed for nine years.

Luo Lingshu turned around, stood for a moment, then straightened her back and walked out. He really couldn’t understand why He Zhanghui would be so obsessed with such a woman—truly blind.

He wanted to roar, to shout, to drain out this filth accumulated over nine years.

But he knew what awaited him if he spoke.

Luo Lingshu walked out of the interrogation room door and had just turned into the corridor when she heard a powerful roar from behind:

“I am Chinese—how could I betray my country!”

…